Rocky Mountains. 365 



The village of the Loup Pawnees, or Skere, as they call 

 themselves, is situated tour milts above that List mentioned, 

 immediately on the bank of the river, it contains about one 

 hundred dirt lodges, five hundred families, or two thousand 

 souls — making an aggregate of six thousand five hundred 

 souls, belonging to the three villages. The name of their 

 principal chiif, is the Knife Chief. A few years since, the 

 Loup Piivvmes hac! a custom of annually sacrificing a human 

 victim to the Great Star, but this wab abolished by their pre- 

 sent chief, aided by the noble daring of his gallant son. They 

 appear unwilling to acknowledge their affinity with the other 

 Pawnees, but their language being very nearly the same, 

 proves them to be of the same origin. 



Although these ba-ids are independent of each other in all 

 their domestic concerns, government, &c. yet, in their mili- 

 tary operations they generally unite, and warfare becomes a 

 common cause with them. Their arms are principa ly bows 

 and arrows, lances, war clubs, and shields, with some few 

 fire arms. They are expert horsemen, but generally fight on 

 foot. They are more numerous, and accounted more formi- 

 dable in warfare than any other combination of savages on 

 the Missouri. Their confidence in their own strength, gives 

 them a disposition to domineer over their weaker neighbours. 

 They are at war with the Osages,_ Konzas, Sioux, latans, 

 Kaslcaias, Kiaways, Shiennes, Crows, &c. 



The several tribes above described, cultivate maize or In- 

 dian corn, pumpkins, beans, water melons, and squashes. — 

 They hunt the bison or buflalot, elk, deer, beaver, otter; the 

 skins of which, they exchange with the traders for fusees, 

 powder and lead, kettles, knives, strouding, blankets, beads, 

 Vermillion, silver ornaments, and other trinkets. They pre- 

 fer the Mackinaw guns, blankets, &c., and will give a higher 

 price for them, knowing that they are greatly superior to 

 those furnished by American traders. 



The Konzas and Osages, both of vi^hich reside in the vi- 

 cinity of the meridian assumed as the eastern boundary of 

 this section, may here be admitted to a more particular con- 

 sideration than that already allowed them in this report. 

 The Konzas Indians reside in a village of earthen lodges, 

 situated on the north side of the river, near the mouth of 

 Blue Earth creek, entering the river about one hundred miles 

 from its mouth. Their village consists of about one hun- 

 dred and thirty lod es, and contains about fifteen hundred 

 souls. This tribe was formerly very troublesome to our tra- 



